Voter Information

Voter Choice Act

The California Voter’s Choice Act

Modernize Elections in California

The California Voter’s Choice Act is a new law passed in 2016 that will modernize elections in California by allowing counties to conduct elections under a new model which provides greater flexibility and convenience for voters. This new election model allows voters to choose how, when, and where to cast their ballot by:

Mailing every voter a ballotExpanding in-person early votingAllowing voters to cast a ballot at any vote center within their county

Voter Choice Act Election Model

Vote-by-Mail Ballots

Every registered voter in participating counties will be delivered a ballot 28 days before Election Day. Voters will have three ways to return their ballot:

Mail the ballot;

Drop the ballot in a secure county ballot drop box; or

Visit any vote center in the county.

Ballot Drop-Off Locations

Ballot drop-off locations provide voters with an additional way to return their ballot postage free. Starting 28 days before Election Day there would be at least one drop-off location for every 15,000 registered voters (52 drop-offs available in Sacramento County). Drop-off locations must be secure, accessible to voters with disabilities, and located as near as possible to public transportation routes.

Vote Centers

Traditional polling places will be replaced by vote centers. Voters will have the freedom to cast a ballot in-person at any vote center in their county instead of being tied to a single polling location. Vote centers look and feel like polling places but provide additional modern features to make voting easy and convenient. At any vote center in a participating county, a voter may:

Vote in-person

Drop off their ballot

Get a replacement ballot

Vote using an accessible voting machine

Get help and voting material in multiple languages

Register to vote or update their voter registration

Starting 10 days before the Election and through the Friday before Election Day, one vote center is required for every 50,000 registered voters (16 locations in Sacramento County). On Election Day and the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday leading up to Election Day, one vote center is required for every 10,000 registered voters (78 locations in Sacramento County).